Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Aiken, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Aiken, SC: $2,436 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Aiken, SC
Learn more

Aiken, SC Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Aiken, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,436

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Aiken, SC

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Aiken, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,436 in Aiken, SC.

Austin, TX $2,607
Aiken, SC $2,436

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,384 in Aiken, SC.

Austin, TX $4,031
Aiken, SC $3,384

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,332 in Aiken, SC.

Austin, TX $5,454
Aiken, SC $4,332

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 7% more expensive than in Aiken, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Aiken, SC 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$15.28 $15.28

33.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$58.8 $58.8

44.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$10.80 $10.80

12.22%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$3.69 $3.69

53.12%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.18 $2.18

68.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.97 $1.97

19.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.84 $5.84

34.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$8.53 $8.53

3.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.02 $1.02

11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.75 $2.75

34.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.31 $2.31

43.29%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.59 $3.59

15.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$14.15 $14.15

-8.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$6.28 $6.28

120.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$18.71 $18.71

-12.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$8.72 $8.72

-46.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.29 $2.29

-36.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.93 $2.93

74.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.87 $3.87

16.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.95 $1.95

57.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.74 $2.74

-13.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.87 $1.87

-3.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.05 $2.05

8.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$7.16 $7.16

39.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$13.05 $13.05

15.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.01 $2.01

44.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.98 $2.98

11.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$4.90 $4.90

-43.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$5.02 $5.02

-67.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$51.0 $51.0

-30.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.73 $0.73

30.14%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.2K $34.2K

$28.3K $28.3K

20.80%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

0.39%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$223 $223

$222 $222

0.52%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$58.5 $58.5

$66.2 $66.2

-11.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$84.2 $84.2

-15.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$56.6 $56.6

-6.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$14.99 $14.99

-6.20%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,459 $1,459

$942 $942

54.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$18.0K $18.0K

18.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$64.7 $64.7

-18.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$44.36 $44.36

-3.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$114 $114

-24.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$64.6 $64.6

60.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,337 $1,337

57.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,191 $1,191

3.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,759 $1,759

119.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,706 $1,706

41.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$1,694 $1,694

338.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,359 $1,359

125.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.57

3.81%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Aiken, SC: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Aiken, SC

$1.2K 48.9% 3.2% $40

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Aiken, SC

$365 15% 10.9% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Aiken, SC

$372 15.3% 5.6% $20

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Aiken, SC

$262 10.7% 24.8% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Aiken, SC

$130 5.3% 0.9% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Aiken, SC

$87 3.6% 6.7% $5.4

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Aiken, SC

$30 * 1.2% 46.9% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,337 in Aiken, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $59 in Aiken, SC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $365 per month, with Aiken, SC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Aiken, SC

🕒 Local time

18:04 6:04 PM

19:04 7:04 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

28,829

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Aiken, SC 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Aiken, SC

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX vs Aiken, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aiken, SC wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Aiken, SC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,911 in Austin, TX and $3,654 in Aiken, SC to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,337 in Aiken, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $942 in Aiken, SC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Aiken, SC – a meal for two runs $59 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Aiken, SC is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.